Ethylene and Flower Induction in Guava Psidium Guajava 1

Abstract

Ethephon-urea sprays, branch bending, and silver nitrate were used to test the roles of ethylene in flower induction in young, clonal guava, Psidium guajava L. Branch bending with or without silver nitrate pretreatment, a low concentration ethephon-urea spray applied four times at five day intervals, and a high concentration ethephon-urea spray applied once with silver nitrate pretreatment increased flowering compared to controls. Ethylene content in stem tissue two days after treatment was positively correlated with the number of laterals produced and negatively correlated with extension growth 18 days after treatment. Ethylene content and reduction in growth were not correlated with flowering. A reduction in apical dominance was highly correlated with flowering.